


a little crazy (all the time)

by limned



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Humor, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 13:29:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10877760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limned/pseuds/limned
Summary: “Well, it’s not the stupidest idea,” Bruce said, after he changed back.  “Most people’s worst fears would incapacitate them.”





	a little crazy (all the time)

Tony was a hundred feet in the air and too far away to do anything but yell, _“Widow, grenade!”_ when the HYDRA soldier threw it at Natasha. She was cornered against the building by four other soldiers and couldn’t roll free fast enough before the white smoke puffed out and surrounded her. Which was admittedly much better than an explosion throwing shrapnel and body parts everywhere, but still not awesome, and Tony was diving toward the ground at full speed when it suddenly became unnecessary.

His infrared channel worked through the smoke with no trouble: he saw Natasha go still for a heartbeat before she whipped into action again, _fast_ , maybe faster than he’d ever seen her move, three soldiers dead on the ground from knives and flying kicks to their throats, the last two wheeling around to run before she caught them and snapped their necks in a split-second.

Tony pulled up and blinked because, damn. It looked like HYDRA had somehow engineered a smoke grenade that made Natasha even more lethal than usual, which was an interesting tactical choice.

She took out five more with headshots when the smoke finally cleared and Tony had to actively remind himself that there was a battle happening and he needed to be doing some shit; it was really kind of tempting to just hang back and watch.

It didn’t take long after that with HYDRA’s command disorganized, half of them trying to pull back to the HQ building where Clint was stationed on a corner of the roof and carefully picking them off. Natasha bulldozed her way through the field, bodies flying, and even shoved Steve aside so she could garrote a soldier who was trying to aim a SAW up at Clint. Then she threw the SAW’s sling over her shoulder with three belts of ammo and proceeded to scale the fire escapes, pausing every few seconds to fire her Glocks at the soldiers climbing above her. Tony had a clear view when she swung up to the roof and took position beside Clint, the two of them helping to finish off the stragglers until there was nothing left to shoot.

It wasn’t obvious that anything was wrong until Thor landed beside them with a huge crash and got one syllable into saying, “Victory!” before Natasha turned around and kicked him straight off the roof.

.

One of the HYDRA scientists admitted it pretty fast after Hulk picked him up and pressed him not-gently against a wall. The grenade had carried an airborne neurotoxin designed to clarify and maximize your worst fear.

“Well, it’s not the stupidest idea,” Bruce said, after he changed back. “Most people’s worst fears would incapacitate them.”

“Uh-huh,” Tony said, looking up to where Natasha was stabilizing her machine gun on the roof. 

.

They couldn’t risk sending anyone up to talk to her; she’d done a thorough weapons resupply from the dead troops hanging off the fire escapes. Steve tried the comms instead. “Natasha, can you tell me what’s happening? We’re worried about you,” he said, anxious and sincere.

He lasted through almost fifteen minutes of Natasha describing the precise ways in which his inadequate leadership skills had repeatedly endangered Clint in the field, and also how she was going to gut him like a fish the next time he came within reaching distance. Tony didn’t blame him at all when Steve finally switched off the channel, looking slightly ill.

.

Clint was absolutely no help. He was still laughing about Natasha ranting at Steve when they got him on a different channel. “Are you kidding, this is _great_ ,” he said. “She wants to slaughter anything that looks at me cross-eyed. Tell me how that isn’t amazing. She doesn’t usually talk about her feelings.”

.

Three hours later they’d dragged a bunch of HYDRA desk chairs into the courtyard and were taking turns peering carefully around the corner. 

The neurotoxin did seem to be wearing off, finally; the HYDRA scientist claimed it only had a short window for effectiveness and Natasha was proving him right because she wasn’t actively manning the machine gun anymore. Instead they were sitting on the edge of the roof on either side of it, and Tony thought maybe they were holding hands on top of the barrel, but he couldn’t quite tell from this angle.

He came back and flopped into his chair, kicked Steve in the ankle and said, “Hey, I think she’s coming out of it. Want to climb up and see if she’s still serious about putting your intestines on the floor?” and grinned when Steve rolled his eyes and looked away.


End file.
